Golf practice device



2 Sheets-Sheet l lBY Jan. 1l, 19411.y M. wEsTMAN GOLF PRACTICE DEVICEFiled'Aug. :51, 1942 Patented Jan. 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE4 Claims.

My invention relates to a golf practice device, more particularly to agolf practice device of the captive ball type in which the driving forceof the ball when hit may be indicated and registered and the objects ofmy invention are:

First, to provide a golf practice device of this class which utilizes asa portion thereof, a captive ball connected to a cord which is in turnwound about a rotating drum;

Second, to provide a golf practice device of this class which utilizesas a portion thereof a spring or other resistance mounted in such amanner as to retard the unwinding motion of the drum when the ball ishit;

Third, to provide a golf practice device of this class which utilizes asa portion thereof an adjustable clamp that may be operated to controlthe spring tension;

Fourth, to provide a golf practice device of this class on which ismounted a calibrated scale and a means for recording the velocity of theball when the ball is hit;

Fifth, to provide a golf practice device of this class which may be usedwith substantially al1 of the customary golf thrills in a restrictedarea;

Sixth, to provide a golf practice device of this class in which aregulation golf ball is used, thereby giving the player the samesensation he would have if using a free ball;

Seventh, to provide a novel golf practice device of this class; and

Eighth, to provide a golf practice device of this class which is verysimple and economical of construction, easy to operate, efficient in itsaction and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in View as will appear hereinafter, myinvention consists of certain novel features of construction,combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafterdescribed in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the charactersof reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my golf practice deviceshowing the mechanism in position before the ball is hit and showingsome of the parts in elevation to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 2 isa sectional view on a reduced scale taken from the line 2-2 of Fig. 1showing parts and portions in elevation to facilitate the illustration;Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken from the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the golf practice device and Fig. 5

is a diagrammatic side elevational view on a reduced scale of the deviceshowing the ball mounted in position and ready to be hit.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout .the several views of the drawings:

The golf ball I, cord 2, rotating drum 3, resisting spring Il,adjustable resistance clamp 5, calibrated scale 6, main shaft 'I,supporting frames 3 and 9, gear rack member lli, gear II, rewindingWheel I2 and supporting base I3 constitute the principal parts andportions of my golf practice device in its preferred form.

The rotating drum 3 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 'I by means of alocking pin 3a and is provided with a grooved surface 3b on the outercircumference upon which is wound the cord 2 at the end of which isfastened a regulation golf ball I. The shaft is supported in the frames8 and 9 by means of bearings Bb and 9a. The threaded portion of theshaft 1c, as shown best in Fig. 1 of the drawings, causes the shaft 'Ito travel endwise when the drum 3 is set in motion because of thethreaded guide bearing 8b.

When the drum 3 is set in motion causing the shaft l to move endwise,the shouldered portion 'Ib of the shaft 'I engages the adjustableresistance clamp 5 sliding on guides 8a to compress the tension springIl, thereby slowing down the rotary motion of the shaft 1. An adjustingscrew 5a held in place by lock nuts 5b and mounted in the end portion ofthe frame 8 serves to regulate the tension of the spring 4 by causingthe clamp 5 to operate against the spring 4. On the opposite end of theshaft 'I mounted in the bearing 9a and supported by frame 9 is mounted agear rack member I0 provided with an extended rack portion Illa. Thisgear rack is supported between two collars Id and 'le secured on shaft'I so that the shaft 'I turns independent of the gear rack. This gearrack is held from turning by frame members 9c and 9d on opposite sidesof the rack portion lila. Operated by the gear rack I0 is a gear Ilmounted on a shaft 6b supported by a bearing 9b. A pointer 6a secured tothe end of the shaft 6b serves to indicate on a calibrated scale 6mounted on the supporting frame 9 by means of screws 6c, the amount ofthrust applied to the ball I. A rewinding wheel I2 is provided at oneend of shaft 'I to return the drum to its normal position after the ballhas been hit and the force expended. The entire mechanism is supportedby a heavy base plate I3.

The operation of my golf practice device is substantially as follows:The regulation golf ball I supported by a 'golf tee la and connected bycord 2 to the rotating drum 3 is placed a short distance from themechanism. When the player hits the ball I, the cord 2 tends to unwindfrom the drum 3 causing the drum 3 to move the shaft 'I in a rotarydirection and endvvise because of the threaded portion 'Ic of the shaft1 in the threads in the bearing 8b. The endvvise shift of the shaft 'Ialso causes the gear rack Ia to shift endwise, thereby revolving thegear II to which is attached the pointer 6a which indicates on acalibrated scale 6 the amount of thrust applied to the ball I. Therotary speed of the shaft 'I is reduced when the shouldered portion Ibof the shaft 'I coming in contact, with the adjustable resistance clampcauses the spring 4 to be compressed, thereby creating a resistingforce. By using an adjusting screw 5a, the cord 2 may be provided Withan initial slackness While the ball I is being hit.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combinationand arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited tothis particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire toinclude in the scope of my invention the construction, combination andarrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a golf practice device of the class described, the combination ofa golf ball, a cord with one end attached to said golf ball, a drum onwhich the other end is wound, a revoluble and longitudinally shiftableshaft on which said drum is rigidly mounted, bearings in which saidshaft is rotatably and longitudinally shiftable, said shaft beingprovided with a threaded portion mounted in a threaded guide bearingcausing the shaft to move endvvise When set in rotary motion.

2. In a golf practice device of the class described, the combination ofa golf ball, a cord with one end attached to said golf ball, a drum onwhich the other end is Wound, a revoluble and longitudinally shiftableshaft on which said drum is rigidly mounted, bearings in which saidshaft is rotatably and longitudinally shiftable, said shaft beingprovided with a threaded portion mounted in a threaded guide bearingcausing the shaft to move endwise when set in rotary motion, said shaftin its endwise movement being arranged to operate against an adjustablecompression spring thereby producing a braking action on the shaft.

3. in a golf practicev device of the class described, the combination ofa golf ball, a cord With one end attached to said golf ball, a rotatabledrurn on which the other end is wound, a revoluble shaft on which saiddrum is rigidly mounted, bearings in which said shaft is rotatably andlongitudinally shiftable, said shaft being provided with a threadedportion mounted in a threaded guide bearing causing the shaft to moveendwise when set in rotary motion, said shaft in its endwise movementbeing arranged to operate against an adjustable compression springthereby producing a braking action on the shaft, a rack mounted on saidshaft, a gear' meshing with said rack and a calibrated indicatoroperated by said gear for indicating the amount of thrust applied to theball when hit.

4. In a golf practice device of the class described, the combintaion ofa golf' ball, a cord with one end attached to said golf ball, arotatable drum on which theI other end is Wound, a revoluble Shaft onWhich said drum is rigidly mounted, bearings in which said shaft isrotatably and longitudinally shiftable, said shaft being provided with athreaded portion mounted in a threaded guide bearing causing the shaftto move endvvise when set in rotary motion, said shaft in its endwisemovement being arranged to operate against an adjustable compressionspring thereby producing a braking action on the shaft, a rack mountedon said shaft, a gear meshing with said rack, a calibrated indicatoroperated by said gear for indicating the amount of thrust applied to theball when hit, and a means to facilitate the returning of said drum tothe normal starting position after the ball is hit.

MAGNUS WESTMAN.

